When Waves Try to Measure
by xJadeRainx
Summary: Andrina was a princess who lead a privileged life, and had a loving husband. But, there was something important missing from her life... the joy of a child.
1. Prologue

Prologue

(Set just after the end of Ariel's Beginning)

Triton, King of all Atlantica, had just recently restored his kingdom to its former glory, a true paradise beneath the sea, but now he was faced with an even bigger threat. One so great that if left unattended, life as he knew it might never be the same.

His daughters wanted to date.

Currently, the suspicious father was sitting on his throne, glaring at a young merman. With any luck, the king came off as menacingly as he hoped. He'd been practicing every night in front of his bedroom mirror.

"Your name, young man?" Triton interrogated without a smile.

"Er, um... Damian?"

"Are you telling me, or asking me?"

"Telling you, sir... I mean Your Majesty... sir."

"Please, call me Triton," the king requested, softening a bit to the boy.

"If you insist. Thank you, Triton."

"Never address your king by name!" Triton bellowed in outrage, and slammed his firsts against the arms of his golden throne.

"But you just... uh," the young merman stumbled over his words, frightened.

"It was a test," Triton lowered his voice gravely, narrowing his eyes, "and you failed."

"Oh, stop it, ya' ole' trout," the crab, Sebastian, called out as he swam into the throne room and settled atop the king's five-pointed crown.

"Sebastian," warned Triton, "I am conducting an interview here."

" 'Dis ain't no interview, mon," Sebastian began, " 'Da boy just wanna take Andrina out on a date. Don' worry, boy," the crab addressed the young merman, " 'Da king's bark is worser 'den his bite."

"Sebastian," the king whispered in annoyance, "you aren't helping."

"Look, I'm just sayin' 'dat at some point, 'ya gotta let 'da girls grow up."

Suddenly, there came a deafening knock at the door, and Andrina swam impatiently into the throne room. Much to Triton's dismay, his second youngest daughter took the young merman by hand, interlocking their fingers. The sight alone was enough to make the king lose the plankton pâté he had eaten for lunch.

"Are you done now, Daddy?" Andrina asked sweetly.

"No we are not." Triton began matter-of-factly, "Darian and I still have much to discuss. What are your intentions with Andrina? Are you trained in emergency medical procedures? If you were both being chased by a hungry, cantankerous shark, would you save yourself or _my _daughter? Well, Darian?"

"Daddy," Andrina sighed in annoyance, "his name is _Damian_."

"No, no," Damian laughed nervously, "He can call me Darian if he likes. I don't mind. He _is_ king, and he _does_ wield the Trident, after all."

"No," Andrina maintained, shaking her head defiantly, "He can't go on calling you any name he likes. Your parents called you _Damian_ for a reason."

King Triton mumbled something under his breath, but Sebastian spoke up waving his small, red claws around.

"Why don' 'ya kids get goin' now. 'Dis ain't no fun, hangin' aroun' 'da throne room. Go, now."

"Thanks, Sebastian," smiled Andrina, tugging Damian out the door by his hand.

"Be back before dinner, young lady," Triton warned the back of Andrina's blond head. She had done her hair differently today. All for the sake of a … a boy. Dear Neptune, his little angelfish really were ready to leave the tide pool.

"We will," Andrina called over her shoulder.

And then the teenagers were gone.

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"So," Damian let out a shaky breath, as he pushed a lock of dark brown hair from his blue eyes, "your dad seems... nice."

"You call that nice?" Andrina chortled, "he practically treated you like a criminal. What did you do? Attempt to steal his Trident?"

"I never laid a finger on in," Damian answered, raising his right hand in oath-taking fashion.

"I didn't think so. You'd be sushi otherwise," Andrina's slightly nasal voice came behind tightly gritted teeth.

"Andrina," Damian drawled unsure, "you don't think the king would go that far, do you?"

"Let's not worry about that right now," the princess shrugged off, "Don't we have a date get to? Come on!"

"Whoa!" Damian grunted as Andrina unexpectedly pulled him forward, and he was forced to power his light blue tail through the water just to keep up with her. She was pretty fast, for a girl.

Andrina had dragged the young merman towards the market. It seemed that the two would be spending their day wandering about town. Damian had something a little more quite in mind, like a private picnic at the coral reef, but he soon came to realize that all plans were thrown to the tide when Andrina was concerned.

The marketplace was bustling, like it always was. Merfolk busily going about their days. Some shopping. Others earning a living. There was even a live band, its members mostly crustaceans, blaring hot, addicting music from their shining instruments.

"Hi-ya, boys!" the princess called to the group, as she swam passed them.

"Hey, it's Andrina!"

"What's shakin', Blondie?"

"You know those guys?" Damian asked.

"Oh, yeah," Andrina answered easily, "they're regular performers at the Catfish Club."

"It's still so strange hearing music, again, after all these years," Damian remarked without really thinking.

"Yes..." Andrina sighed, adopting a sad look in her green eyes, "after my mother died, Daddy went a little crazy."

Damian mentally cursed himself. Why for the love of Neptune, did he have to go and say something that stupid? He had to make it up to her somehow.

He kissed her quickly on the cheek, and took Andrina by the hand, "Let's explore, shall we?"

Damian and Andrina were sure to stop at every stand in the market, sampling all the food, admiring all the different goods the shopkeepers had to offer. Damian even bought his new girlfriend a shell necklace, nothing expensive though. Costume jewelery, really.

The very last stand the two teenagers came across was operated by a shady looking merman. He was middle aged, with a receding hair line. His eyes were cold, and his face angular. The merman reminded Damian of a shark, almost. And that brought to memory some of the king's last words to him.

_If you were both being chased by a hungry, cantankerous shark, would you save yourself or my daughter?_

"Let's move along, Andrina," Damian began cautiously, placing a gentle hand along the small of the mermaid's back.

"Why?" questioned the princess, "you agreed that we'd visit every last stand at the market, and this is the _last_ one. We can't go home now!"

"You wouldn't deny your girlfriend, would you, pal?" the shopkeeper smirked, showing off a row of unusually sharp teeth, "All my wares are the rarest fruits imported from the seven seas. Eat them. You'll have life-long good luck, or so the legends say."

"Yeah, I'm sure they do. Come on, Andrina."

"No," Andrina laughed. "I want to try one. Do you?"

"Absolutely not."

"Aw, where's your sense of adventure?" she playfully jabbed at his chest with a forefinger, "Throw caution to the tide, why don't you?"

Andrina picked up one of the shopkeeper's fruits and brought it to her lips. It was purple, and porous, and looked utterly unappetizing.

"I really don't think you should eat that, Andrina," Damian urged seriously, "You don't even know what it _is_."

The princess inspected the fruit, "It looks harmless, like a sponge. Have you ever heard of a poisonous sponge?"

"No."

"There you go then," Andrina dismissed, and popped the purple fruit into her mouth without a second thought.

She chewed, then swallowed, and stuck out her tongue that had turned purple to match her lavender tail.

"I can't believe you did that," Damian groaned, holding a hand to his forehead.

"I'm an adventurous girl, Damian, you should get used to that little fact."

"I guess I'll have to try," the young merman rolled his blue eyes, and turned to the shopkeeper, "how much do we owe you for the purple fruit thingy?"

But the angular, cold eyed, sharp-toothed merman was already gone. Damian barely even had time to wonder where the shopkeeper had swum off to, before Andrina had fallen to the sand clutching her stomach, and writhing in pain.

"Andrina!" Damian shouted, swimming beside her, "What's wrong?"

"My stomach," choked the princess, "it hurts... really bad."

Swiftly, Damian scooped the mermaid in his arms, and hurried back to the castle. King Triton would probably murder him for allowing harm to come to his daughter, but Damian couldn't think of that now. Andrina required medical help. And soon.

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Triton worriedly swam back and forth outside his daughter's room. The last time he had seen Andrina, she was excited to leave for her date. He didn't really think anything _bad_ would happen to her. He was only playing the part of a protective father. But look how that Darian hooligan returned Andrina to him! If he ever got his hands, or better yet, his trident on that boy...

Suddenly, the king heard a soft clicking sound, which suggested Andrina's door had finally been opened, and immediately rushed to meet the healer who exited quietly.

"Elethea!" Triton bombarded, "How is she?"

"Hush," the kind, aging woman brought a finger to her lips, "Andrina is resting now."

"W-what _happened _to her?"

"Well, from what the boy described... now, Your Majesty don't make that face of yours. It wasn't his fault. But from what he described, I believe Andrina consumed a fruit from the Sterile-Salix plant. At this time of the season, it bears a purple, sponge-like fruit."

"Is it... is it deadly?" asked the king, swallowing hard, as a large lump formed it his throat.

"The plant has never been known to cause fatality in merfolk," the healer, Elethea, reassured, "but there is a long lasting effect."

"Which is?"

Elethea paused for a moment before answering her king, "Infertility."

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**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Hello, and thanks a bunch for checking out this story. This prompt was entrusted to me by Bella Vision, who requested I create this story for her. I hope I can do her proud.

For any readers of the Ocean Heart/Ocean Star Saga, I would like to point out that this story is entirely unrelated to those. There will be no Hali, no Xavier, and no Sam. There will be no Lamar (Andrina's husband in Ocean Star), and sadly, there will be no Serene, and certainly no Darwin.

Now, I'm calling this chapter a prologue. I'm not sure if prologues are supposed to be this long, or if their meant to be much shorter, but I feel it would be easier for the audience to understand this particular piece of writing as a 'prologue'. So, that's what I'm going to call it gosh darn-it.

Happy birthday to you,

xJadeRainx


	2. A Kiss Goodbye

Chapter 2 (Set just after the wall comes down in Return to the Sea)

The sea was growing fiercer by the minute, as the water quickly turned from a pleasant bluish-green hue to a muted gray. Powerful, hungry waves lapped at the hull of a small, wooden vessel. Its crew was in for trouble.

"All hands on deck!" an aging captain barked to his men, over the din of the heightening storm, "adjust the sails! Rig the halyards!"

Half a dozen sailors scrambled to meet their skipper's orders, as pounding rain cascaded off the edges of their caps, and into their eyes. Heavy feet stuck in rain-soaked galoshes, splashed through a collection of puddles that had formed on deck, as lightning continuously splintered the darkness. The doomed ship was taking in water... quickly.

There was a deafening clap of thunder, followed of course, by a single bolt of white-hot lightning, and then came the unexpected. One explosion from the rear of the ship, and then another, and another. The fateful lightning strike had apparently hit a barrel of black gunpowder, and the initial explosion had sparked a dangerous chain reaction. Before the crew's very eyes, the main sail, and fore sail were engulfed in angry, red flames, despite the heavy rainfall.

"Ready the lifeboat!" shouted the captain, "abandon ship!

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Meanwhile, in the hold below deck, a family consisting of father, mother, and infant were being harshly jostled about, banging into walls, the floor, whichever would catch their fall.

"In God's name what's happening, Charles!" a young mother cried, while unsuccessfully trying to soothe her bawling child.

"It seems that we're caught in an unexpected storm. Don't worry, Evelyn. It will pass."

They could hear the booming thunder, the driving rain, and the sloshing waves all around them, and somehow, Mrs. Evelyn Thompson knew her husband was gravely wrong. The family was startled when the door of the hold was suddenly, and forcefully kicked in revealing a visibly distressed Captain Morgan.

"Sorry professor." Captain Morgan began, delivering an unhappy glance over to the woman and child. Any seasoned sailor knew well that she-folk brought bad luck to long voyages. "Storm's getting too rough. Ship's on fire..."

"Fire!" shrieked Evelyn, clutching her child closer to her bosom.

"We're evacuating the ship," Captain Morgan warned in his distinctive, gruff voice, "follow me."

Professor Charles Thompson placed a gentle hand along the small of this wife's back; it was all he could keep from looking panic-stricken. It was vital that he remain calm for the sake of his family. After all, it was he who had brought his wife and infant daughter aboard for his research mission. If anything horrid occurred, it was entirely on his shoulders. So, he calmly guided his wife and child out the door, close behind the stocky form of Captain Morgan. Things would turn out fine in the end, he assured himself, until...

"Natalie's basket!" his wife gasped, shoving the poor, crying baby into his arms, and quickly ducked back into the hold.

"Evelyn!" Charles shouted in concern, his heart pounding. Was the woman mad? "Forget the damn basket!"

"No!" Evelyn screeched back at him, "I'll be damned if I allow my child to drown, Charles! The basket will keep her safer, at least!"

Charles Thompson was in such shock after the outburst of his normally mild-mannered wife, it literally incapacitated him. Unable to move, the professor hadn't even realized his wife had retrieved the basket, until she snatched Natalie from his tight hold.

"What are you waiting for, Charles?" she whispered in a weak, cracking voice, as she chased after Captain Morgan.

Evelyn and Natalie were the first to be lowered into the rickety lifeboat, and when he was certain they were safely seated, Charles followed. From the lifeboat, Charles looked up at the burning ship. The crew hastily abandoned all possessions and jumped pell-mell into the raging, black sea. His life's work was being reduced to a pile of ashes within the sinking ship, Charles realized. All of that research... gone. But most importantly, his wife and child were safe. Thank God for that.

Charles wrapped both Evelyn into a tight embrace, as Natalie was snugly secured in her basket that rested on this wife's lap. They were all soaked to the bone and shivering, but there was nothing to be done about that now. Evelyn was whispering an old prayer, but Charles could not bring himself to tear his eyes from the horrific sight of the fated vessel plunging beneath the menacing waves.

Twenty men surrounded them, the crew, and the captain. It was a tight squeeze, fitting all these bodies into one impossibly small lifeboat. But they made it work. They had to.

"All right men, start rowing," Captain Morgan commanded somberly, and the sailors nearest to the oars began to paddle.

All was deadly silent, as Morgan's men struggled to maneuver the rickety lifeboat through the chaotic wrath of the storming sea. And then in the distance, they all saw it. Despite the pitched darkness... despite the relentless gales, and stinging rain, they all saw it. Heading in a course straight for them, was an enormous wave, the crest of which was easily risen ten feet above their heads. Avoiding this monster of a wave was not only improbable, but impossible. And within moments, the wave rushed over them all, and capsized the rickety, wooden lifeboat.

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Evelyn Thompson, fatigued, her muscles burning, desperately clung to a small piece of driftwood with one arm while she tightly cradled her child's basket in the other. Evelyn did not know what had become of her husband, or the other men aboard the life boat, but she did know that her little Natalie was safe, and amazingly enough... soundly sleeping. Evelyn also knew that she wouldn't be able to hold on for very much longer. She was so tired, and so cold, and she could no longer feel her toes. Freezing. Evelyn was freezing. If she kept on like this, her child would perish right along with her, and she couldn't have that. So, Evelyn mustered her last ounce of strength to kiss the sleeping babe's forehead. The child felt so warm. Or perhaps it only appeared that way because she was so dreadfully cold.

"I love you, Natalie," she whispered, humming a few bars of the child's favorite lullaby.

And then the young mother deliberately loosened her grip of the waterlogged flotsam, and Evelyn Thompson retired to a watery grave.


	3. Steamed Coral, Strained Kelp

The constant chattering of the clam shell alarm clock awoke Andrina from a delightfully peaceful sleep. Could it be morning already? Andrina wasn't ready to start a new day. She was perfectly content to remain in her comfortable bed snuggled up closely to her gorgeous husband. But that was not meant to be.

"Gonna lie in bed forever?"

Andrina could hear Damian's smooth voice hovering above her, but if she simply didn't open her eyes, he would have to leave her alone. Right?

"Andrina?" He sang softly.

Geez... Damian just wasn't taking the hint. It Looked like Andrina would have to up her game a little.

"Zzz...Zzzz... **ZZZZZZ**," the mermaid princess faked, and paired the faux snores with a few sleepy murmurs. Man, was she good at feigning sleep!

"I know you're faking," Damian's nose was pressed firmly against her own.

Huh. Guess not.

"Fine," the princess surrendered, "I'll get up... in ten minutes."

"Andrina!"

"Oh, all right. What's it to _you_, anyway?"

"It's just a great day," Shrugged Damian, "Can't you feel it? Who could possibly want to waste a day like today?"

Andrina flicked her fins over to the vanity and began comb her blond hair into her usual updo, while Damian made their bed. Perfectionist.

"Feels like any other day to me."

"Oh, no," Damian disagreed, "Something's coming. Though I don't know what it is. You'll see."

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Another day. Another breakfast with her father, her sisters, and their school of fish... err... children. Everyone crowded around the banquet table for the first meal of the day. The course, for those with all their teeth fully grown in, was the traditionally prepared steamed coral. And for the guppies that remained toothless, or teething... strained kelp. Truly appetizing.

Collectively, Andrina's six sisters boasted a whole brood of children. Ariel had only one, the eldest, Melody. But the rest of them! Attina had three. Alana two, plus one on the way. Another three for Aquata. Adella had four. And count 'em. Five. Five merbabies under the age of five for Arista. And then there was Andrina... childless. Did Andrina love her mass of nieces and nephews? Of course he did! She wasn't a heartless sea witch. But sometimes she felt just a little... well... jealous.

Andrina poked around her steamed coral a bit. She had lost her appetite somewhat, after watching Arista's youngest, Shelly, (yes, a mermaid named Shelly. Guess Arista was wanting for a few good baby names) transform her strained kelp into a sort of mushed up, half-eaten gelatinous blob.

"Not hungry today, dear?" Attina questioned.

"Eh," Andrina answered with a casual shrug.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly relate," Alana commented, while stuffing her face with huge chunks of steamed coral, "I'm always hungry. Eating for two, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know," replied Andrina through clenched teeth.

She noticed her father shot Alana a deadly glare, and her sister reddened some. But Andrina wasn't angry per se. She knew her sister hadn't meant to be insensitive. Only, sometimes in her maternal glee, Alana could spurt out hurtful comments. And that was all right with Andrina. She'd much rather endure an innocent, though thoughtless remark here and there, than have her sisters... oh, say go to extremes. Like hiding a pregnancy or something. But that was ridiculous. Her sisters weren't _that_ crazy. Andrina was destined to remain childless. And it was high tide she accepted it.

"I'm fine everyone," Andrina assured, noticing the adult merfolk present were literally holding her breath in anticipation.

"Are you sure?" her father, Triton asked seriously.

"Of course, I'm sure. It was my own fault, anyway. I never should have eaten that stupid sponge-fruit-thingy."

"Andrina," Attina began, "that was in on way your fault. You couldn't have known that maniac was prowling the market place. A terrorist. That's what he was."

The barren mermaid shuddered. She remembered his shark-like features all to clearly. Later, they learned several young female citizens of the kingdom had been struck by the same assailant. Her father had his guards intensely comb the waters of Atlantica for days. And when the criminal was finally apprehended... he was executed. Personally exterminated by her father and his handy trident. The first such execution in modern Atlantican history. Now, that was one memory Andrina could easily do without.

Suddenly, Andrina had the need to leave. To clear her head.

"I'm finished here," Andrina announced, shunning her plate of unfinished steamed coral, "I'm going to have swim by myself."

Lightly, she flipped her fins through the all-encompassing water, and headed to the one place that seemed able to ease her troubles. A place her sister Ariel had been smitten by years ago. The surface.


	4. A Secret Exposed

Confusion. That was the principle emotion that flooded the depths of Andrina's brain, as her head breached the surface. She had been brave enough to visit the surface dozens of times since the wall had come down. But she had never seen it like this before. Her olfactory was offended immediately by a scent she couldn't begin to describe. Typically, the surrounding air was salt-scented. But not today. Thick. Acrid. Choking. Andrina did not have in her vocabulary a word that could capture what she was currently smelling. Andrina also noted a strange, filmy substance that skimmed along the surface in iridescent patches. Debris too. Lots of it. Floating freely with the swelling waves. The mermaid shivered. Never, never had Andrina experienced the surface as it was today. Something was obviously wrong, and she wanted to find out what. Without even missing a stroke, Andrina sped her way to the shores that lined Eric and Ariel's palace.

She stopped a yard or so from the long stretch of sand overlooking the palace. Andrina noticed that some to the debris she encountered at sea had also washed ashore. There must have been a shipwreck last night, she decided. There was really no other explanation. Curious, Andrina swam closer to the shore. Perhaps Ariel and Eric were surveying the damage too, and could shed further light on the situation. When Andrina finally reached land, she spotted her sister strolling along the beach looking utterly horror-stricken. She was wrapped in a heavy black cloak to protect her from the winds, and her deep red hair flew wildly about her face.

"Ariel!" cried Andrina, splashing her tail fin for attention.

"Oh, Andrina."

Her presence didn't seem to lift Ariel's spirits at all. Not even a trace of a smile crossed her sister's lips.

"Ariel, what happen here last light?"

"Shipwreck."

"I gathered as much," Andrina sighed, "did you find any survivors."

"Not a soul has washed ashore."

"That's horrible," gasped Andrina, "but there could still be survivors..."

"We've sent out a rescuer crew earlier this morning. They turned up nothing. At this point, prospects look bleak."

Andrina ran a hand through her blond hair. It was just so awful to imagine. Sometimes, Andrina couldn't believe that the ocean, her home, could be so cruel to humans. Drowning, was one thing Andrina had a difficult time understanding.

"It's just so sad," Andrina lamented.

"I know," Ariel agreed, "Eric had granted a biologist permission to conduct research in the waters near our kingdom. Thompson was his name. Charles Thompson. He and his crew were due to dock at the harbor sometime today..."

"Ariel?"

Both Andrina and her sister turned their heads to see Arie's dark-haired husband striding towards them, battling against the strong winds, a remnant of last night's deadly storm.

"Hello, Eric."

"Andrina," the king nodded politely.

Eric protectively wrapped his arms around Ariel's middle, who shivered in the chill wind, despite her heavy cloak. It was actually a very sweet gesture. Ariel, the youngest, had been married before any of their sisters, and after twelve years she and her husband were still truly in love.

"We were just discussing the shipwreck," Ariel explained, peering up at Eric.

"I see," Eric acknowledged, "but Ariel, don't you think..."

"What?"

"You've been out in this cold for some time now, and in your condition..."

"I'm fine, Eric," Ariel replied rather hastily, Andrina thought.

"But the doctor recommended you rest, darling."

Andrina now moved her head from Ariel to Eric and back again. She was beginning to feel confused.

"Ariel?" Andrina questioned, "What condition. Are you ill? If your doctor wants you to rest, you definitely should."

Ariel glared at her husband, and Andrina narrowed her eyes. Why was her sister behaving so suspiciously? Then she noticed it, a subtle gesture really. Eric's arms were not merely wound around Ariel's waist. His hands her firmly planted on her stomach. Her slightly protruding stomach.

"Ariel, you're pregnant."

"Yes," her sister answered in defeat.

"And you didn't tell anyone? Why not?"

Then, Ariel's face changed red as her hair, and Andrina understood perfectly.

"They all know, don't they? Father, Attina... all of them."

"I can explain," Ariel croaked, "we only wanted to protect you. All of us."

"Protect me from what?"

"First Alana fell pregnant, and soon after... well, me. We thought it wound be too painful..."

"Nobody even bothered to ask me," Andrina quipped, "did you think I'd be jealous? Did you think I'd do something crazy?"

"It's not like that at all," Ariel defended.

"And you went along with this?" Andrina directed the question at Eric, who was caught up in the middle of all this. The king only shrugged sheepishly. "I can't believe this!" Andrina wailed.

"Andrina," Ariel began calmly, "I'm sorry, truly sorry, but try to understand..."

"Don't bother. I've heard enough."

Incensed, Andrina dove head first into the bobbing sea. She swam further from shore as quickly as she could, propelling herself with her powerful tail fin. What she needed now was to put as much distance between herself and Ariel. She didn't even know how she could face the rest of her sisters back at Atlantica. How could they have all been so heartless? So clueless? Concealing a pregnancy? That was pure insanity! Andrina desperately wanted to clear her head, and all she could do for now was swim.


End file.
